The Government is working on establishing a compensation scheme for people who suffer injury caused by a State vaccination programme.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said there were no plans "for the introduction in Ireland of a Covid-19 specific vaccine compensation scheme" in parliamentary correspondence to Independent TD Catherine Connolly, according to The Irish Times.
However, he added a report from 2020 on medical negligence claims would be considered alongside a review conducted by the Health Research Board on vaccine injury redress schemes in other countries.
The Department of Health said work is underway to advance "policy development" on the matter.
This comes after a senior medical negligence solicitor said it was an "absolute scandal" that there is currently no such compensation scheme in place in the State.
Michael Boylan said there was "no point in denying" rare incidents in which vaccines cause negative side-effects, adding that a compensation scheme would "inspire more confidence in taking a vaccine, if you knew the State was going to look after you".
According to data up to August 3rd, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) received 13,529 reports of suspected side-effects related to the Covid-19 vaccine out of the over 3 million doses which had been administered in the State up to that point.
